CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu reported 5,595 Covid-19 cases and 67 deaths on Friday, taking the tally to 6,08,885 and toll to 9,653.
Chennai alone recorded 1,278 cases. Its neighbouring districts Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur recorded 396, 157 and 255 cases respectively, while most of the remaining fresh cases came from the western districts.
While Coimbatore reported 495 cases, Salem reported 355, Tiruppur 149, Erode 194 and Namakkal 163 cases. However, Dharmapuri, Nilgiris and Krishnagiri recorded 62, 73 and 76 new cases respectively.
According to the media bulletin issued by the Directorate of Public Health, the State tested 84,991 samples and 83,123 people on the day, taking the total number of samples tested to 75,26,688 and people to 73,04,809.
Meanwhile, one more private lab, Ganga Diagnostic Care in Chennai, has been approved for Covid-19 testing.
As many as 5,603 people were discharged on the day taking the total number of people discharged after treatment to 5,52,938. The State now has 46,294 patients undergoing treatment.
Among the deceased, only five patients did not have any comorbid conditions. A 34-year-old man from Pudukkottai who died on September 21 was one such patient. The man was admitted to a private hospital with complaints of fever and difficulty in breathing for seven days on September 9. He tested positive on September 10 and died on September 21 due to Covid-19 pneumonia.
Meanwhile, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar told reporters that Oxford University’s Covishield vaccine was being administered to volunteers in the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital from last week and so far no volunteer had complained of side effects.
The minister addressed the reporters after inspecting the Covid hospital at King Institute, Guindy. He along with the Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan inspected the Covid wards and inquired about the treatment with the patients.